


The Dinner at Fear Manor

by hentailobster



Series: The Ongoing Case Of Ricky Goldsworth [5]
Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: 1930s, Detectives, F/F, Gen, Supernatural Elements, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 04:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19077814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hentailobster/pseuds/hentailobster
Summary: Trying to find out more about Joan's condition, the gang seek the help of Doctor Fear, aware that something might not be entirely right. Of course, they're in no way prepared for just how not entirely right things are.





	The Dinner at Fear Manor

 

The little house stood by the side of an old church, almost melting into it. Its white paint had not been replaced for years, and the windows were dirty, but that didn’t exactly make it stand out from the rest of the houses in the area. It wasn’t a particularly popular part of Los Demonios, and mostly housed retirees and sickly people who couldn’t afford any better. At night, not many people wandered the streets, and those who did would never in a million years have been able to defend themselves. All in all, Rose Hip Street was the perfect setting for a murder, however, that was not why a certain shadowy figure and his companion were there. The pair walked up to the little house, and after a moment’s hesitation, the shorter of them knocked on the door. 

 

”Ricardo?” Came a voice from inside, cautious, as if it was expecting an enemy ”Is that you?” 

 

”It’s me” Ricardo ”Ricky” Goldsworth confirmed, much to the surprise of C.C. Tinsley, formerly of Old York’s police department, who looked like he needed about a week of sleep. 

 

”Ricardo?” He raised an eyebrow at his friend who actually wasn’t looking at him, meaning the raised eyebrow had been wasted. 

 

”Never said Ricky was my given name, did I?” Ricky was nervous, Tinsley had realized a while ago. He kept biting his lip, and as footsteps slowly approached he motioned for Tinsley to remain silent. Several locks clicked, and finally, an old woman stepped outside, arms stretched out in front of her as she fumbled for Ricky. He stepped forward and took her hand, then spoke in a voice softer than Tinsley had ever heard. 

 

”Hello, _mamá_ ” 

 

The woman’s face lit up, and Tinsley noticed that her eyes didn’t seem to find Ricky properly. They were fixed somewhere above his head, as if she expected to be able to look him in the eyes. So that was why Ricky had wanted Tinsley to be quiet. The woman was blind. 

 

”It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, my darling” She cupped his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead ”Come inside, I’ll get you some food” 

 

Without waiting for a response, she went back inside. Ricky followed, dragging Tinsley behind him but making sure he never got close to the woman, who Tinsley could only assume was Lucy Goldsworth. She made her way through the house with confident steps, meaning she’d probably been living there for a while. Tinsley looked around as they headed through the hallway, managing to catch a glimpse of what was behind a slightly ajar door: a child’s bed that didn’t look like it had been used in a long time. Ricky tugged at his arm harder when he noticed him slacking, and Tinsley picked up his pace again. They finally reached a small kitchen, where ms Goldsworth told Ricky to sit down. He did so, and Tinsley pressed himself into a corner as ms Goldsworth began moving around the kitchen, preparing something to eat. At one point she passed right by Tinsley, and he held his breath hoping she would soon pass. She did, finally sitting down opposite Ricky and handing him a loaf of bread and some butter. 

 

”You know if you’d told me you’d be coming over I’d have had time to prepare you something” She scolded him ”You didn’t even tell me you were in town” 

 

”Sorry” Ricky produced a knife from somewhere in his coat and sliced a piece of the loaf. Tinsley decided he’d have to ask where that knife had been before, once they were done with this. 

 

”I didn’t think I’d be staying for long” He continued ”And I had this really nosy detective on my trail” 

 

Tinsley rolled his eyes as Ricky smirked at him and ms Goldsworth laughed heartily. 

 

”Bane of your existence I can imagine” 

 

”Of course” Ricky spread butter on the slice of bread and bit into it ”He just doesn’t know when to quit”

 

”Don’t talk with food in your mouth” Ms Goldsworth shook her head ”Where have your manners gone?” 

 

”Sorry” Ricky swallowed and ms Goldsworth tutted. 

 

”No manners whatsoever. You got that from your father, you know” She said ”Look at you. You haven’t even introduced your friend” 

 

Ricky froze, with his sandwich halfway to his mouth. He cast Tinsley a panicked glance, and Tinsley returned it, feeling that there really wasn’t much else he could do. 

 

”I’m sorry” Ricky mumbled ” _Mamá,_ meet Tinman” 

 

”Please, do get out of the corner” Ms Goldsworth gestured to the chair next to Ricky’s ”Your legs must be tired” 

 

”They are” Tinsley confirmed as he sat down ”And I do apologize for sneaking around your house, ma’am” 

 

”Sneaking is an overstatement, you were far too loud” Ms Goldsworth made a dismissive gesture ”But I must say you caught me by surprise, Ricky never brings any friends over. I thought I might be hearing things for a moment” 

 

” _Mamá,_ please!” 

 

”Sorry, sorry” She chuckled ”Now, how come you’re here, darling?” 

 

Ricky didn’t answer for a long time. He looked down on his hands, fidgeting with his sleeves, and Tinsley had to resist the urge to reach out and comfort him in some way. Though that could end up badly. Touching Ricky in any way was like a game of Russian roulette. It was either accepted or, like Tinsley had found out the hard way a few days ago, ended with someone getting punched. So for now, he chose to keep his distance. 

 

”Well” Ricky drew the word out, discomfort slipping into his voice ”I ran into Night Night recently” 

 

Ms Goldsworth was silent, just nodded to confirm she’d heard as she waited for Ricky to continue. 

 

”He said…things. It might just be my imagination but…” He trailed off. There was a hint of desperation in his voice, making it obvious that he wanted nothing more than for it to be his imagination. For someone so used to lying, it was surprisingly transparent, and Tinsley decided it was worth the risk to provide some comfort. Carefully, he reached out and put his hand on Ricky’s shoulder. The lack of any reaction at all only added to Tinsley’s feeling of unease. 

 

”I know we’re related” Ricky picked up again ”I just need you to tell me how close” 

 

Ms Goldsworth was silent. Ricky was silent. Tinsley didn’t even dare to breathe, out of fear of disturbing the silence that filled every crevice of the room like water, heavy and suffocating. It told more than ms Goldsworth ever could, but Tinsley knew Ricky wasn’t going to settle for something unspoken. Something indefinite. 

 

_”Mamá”_ His voice was harsher, cutting through the silence like a knife and oh boy wasn’t that fitting? As ms Goldsworth sighed deeply, Tinsley noticed Ricky’s hands clenching on the table. 

 

”You are my only child, Ricky” Ms Goldsworth finally said ”But you haven’t always been” 

 

”Go on” Ricky’s voice was cold, and his expression impossible to read. Not that that mattered to ms Goldsworth, of course, but Tinsley would like to have a better idea of how Ricky was feeling, and how he might act. 

 

”Antonio, or Night Night as he calls himself, was my first son” There it was. Not sugarcoated in any way, and with no more talking around it. _Antonio Goldsworth._ Ricky’s older brother. 

 

”Just after you were born he got involved with…something” Tinsley was struck by how calm ms Goldsworth sounded ”I still don’t know what it was, but it was dangerous. It would have hurt us, it would have hurt _you,_ but Antonio wouldn’t listen to reason. He insisted that that thing was his friend” 

 

Ms Goldsworth shook her head, then absentmindedly brought a hand to a necklace she was wearing. A silver chain with a small crucifix, like the one Ricky had had, and which had proved surprisingly effective against Legs. 

 

”Once, I met it” Ms Goldsworth continued, twisting the necklace around her fingers ”And that was enough for me to know that I could never let it come near my family again. If forbade Antonio from seeing it, and when he wouldn’t listen I forbade him from seeing us” 

 

Tinsley suddenly realized he was starting to see the similarities between ms Goldsworth and her son, who at that moment drew a quick, unsteady breath, but was otherwise as cold as before. 

 

”That…creature he associates with” Disgust seeped into ms Goldsworth’s voice ”It’s not of our world. Something that evil doesn’t belong here” 

 

”You say it’s evil” Ricky’s voice was strained ”But I’m not?” 

 

”What you do is irrelevant, my darling” Ms Goldsworth responded instantly ”You’re still _human._ No matter what we do, humans aren’t born evil. We’re not like that thing” 

 

Ricky didn’t say anything. He stared intently at ms Goldsworth for a while, then suddenly stood up and left the room. 

 

”Ricky, wait!” Tinsley tried to follow him, but wasn’t fast enough. By the time he was out of the house, Ricky was nowhere to be seen. 

 

Tinsley stood on the street for a while, debating what to do. For a moment, he considered going back inside to say goodbye to ms Goldsworth, but in all honesty, he wasn’t so sure if he wanted to. The sound of the door locking behind him finally settled it. Figuring Ricky would be impossible to find until he wanted to be found, Tinsley put his hands in his coat pocket with a huff and started walking home. 

 

 

 

Francesca’s office was as lively as it had been the past few nights, with Joan currently in the middle of attempting to do…something. It wasn’t apparent what, but she looked very concentrated and Francesca was taking notes furiously. She didn’t even look up as Tinsley shut the door behind him, just asked where Ricky was. Tinsley explained the situation, but got the impression that she wasn’t quite listening, considering how calm she was. 

 

”He’ll be back” She reassured Tinsley, although it could have been aimed at her papers for all he knew. 

 

”You really do have a talent for comforting people” Tinsley remarked as he hung his coat up and made for a chair next to where Joan was standing. She looked a little more worried, but then again she had so for almost a week straight now. Her sudden transformation was an unexpected turn of events and one that she and the rest of the group were currently working on figuring out. It wasn’t going too smoothly, what with the primary sources of information being Ricky’s novels and a demon they’d only spoken to briefly.

 

”Any news on Legs?” Tinsley asked Francesca, who nodded in response. 

 

”I finally managed to get in touch with him, but he doesn’t want to see me in person. I think he’s still pissed about G’Day” She rolled her eyes ”Anyway, he did agree to see Joan and you so I’ll need you to go with her. Strangle Legs if he gets too close” 

 

”I really don’t think I can do that, but I’ll try” Tinsley agreed ”When does he want to meet us?” 

 

”Midnight tomorrow” Francesca flipped through her notes ”Not at the office but in an apartment they own. Dahlia Street 14, seventh floor. It says ’Madej’ on the door” 

 

She tore the page she’d been reading from out of the notebook and handed it to Tinsley. It had directions to the apartment, as well as a brief summary of what had been going on with Joan for the past days. The idea was that Legs would based on this info hopefully be able to tell them a little about what Joan should do, and what she could expect, since Ricky’s books couldn’t for the life of them seem to agree on that. 

 

Figuring he should be well rested the next day, Tinsley excused himself to go to bed. Or at least, that was in part the reason. He also felt that he needed some time to himself to think things over, which he got plenty of since he found that it was hard falling asleep in complete silence after a while of having to listen to snoring while he did. Since no one was around to witness it, he could begrudgingly admit to himself that he had gotten used to Ricky’s company. 

 

And wasn’t that worrying? 

 

 

 

He woke up a few hours after Joan had gone to sleep and as such had no time to discuss their plans for the evening with her. Instead, he spent his morning reading the newspaper, finding that yet another axe murder had taken place. With a sigh, he unfolded the city map and marked this one as well with a red dot. He’d gotten the idea of starting to do that a few days ago, hoping to find a pattern in Legs’ spree. And find a pattern he did, it just didn’t make any sense to him. 

 

The red dots were evenly spaced across the map, forming what looked like a circle that had been completed by the latest murder. Perhaps that meant things were over? Somehow Tinsley doubted that, and he quickly decided he was going to ask Legs about it at their meeting. 

 

He and Francesca discussed the meeting in question in great detail as the hours leading up to it passed. While Francesca wasn’t too worried, she reassured Tinsley, one could never be sure enough, so she needed him to stay alert. Tinsley didn’t think that would be a problem, but didn’t mention that to Francesca since she took the matter very seriously. With good reasons, if Tinsley’s suspicions were correct. He couldn’t know for sure, of course, and figured it’d be impolite to ask, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about the nature of Joan and Francesca’s relationship. 

 

On the subject of Joan, she woke up at nine in the evening, just as the sun started to set. As a precaution she’d decided to shift her sleeping schedule, seeing as certain books suggested she’d burst into flames if she went out in daylight. Tinsley was fairly certain he’d seen ms Doroftei out in the sun at some point, but had agreed with the rest of the group in that it was better to be safe than sorry. 

 

While Joan got ready to go, Tinsley went through the notes he’d gotten one last time, then he and Joan said goodbye to Francesca and were off. As they got in the elevator, Tinsley noticed Joan was looking nervous and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

 

”Hey” He said ”You’ll be fine. I promise” 

 

”Thank you” She smiled, but it looked a little strained. Tinsley squeezed her shoulder one last time as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, letting the two out. The night outside was quite warm, the promise of summer hanging in the air. Tinsley took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, then he looked at the note and the instructions written there. _Follow main road and take a left at Rose Oliver’s Street._

 

The instructions were clear enough that they didn’t get lost, eventually ending up on Dahlia Street 14, a building that looked almost black in the dark of the night. It seemed not to have been in use for a while, if the broken windows and creaking hinges of the door were anything to go by. Plus, neither the lights nor the elevator would work, meaning they had to walk all the way up to floor seven in almost complete darkness. 

 

When they reached their floor Tinsley was a little out of breath, fighting to calm it down as he and Joan walked through the corridor, looking for the right door. It was nearly at the end of the hall, somehow looking less worn down than the rest of the building. The handle had been polished recently and the doorbell rang loud and clear when Joan pushed it. For a moment nothing happened, then the door opened by itself, letting the dim light of the apartment spill out into the corridor. Tinsley cast a glance at Joan, who gave him a determined nod before stepping inside. Feeling a little less confident than her, he followed, and heard the door close behind him the second he was inside the hallway. 

 

The apartment wasn’t big, just the hallway leading up to a single room. Inside were two armchairs, facing a desk at which Legs was seated, his feet on it in a relaxed pose. 

 

”Detective, miss Porter” He nodded to the two, fixing them each in turn with his gaze. It made Tinsley…uneasy. Like the air was suddenly too thick to breathe and a myriad of ants were crawling up his legs. And the sensation didn’t pass once Legs looked away, like how things had used to be with ms Doroftei. Each slight movement he made, every shift of his feet- still placed on the desk- made Tinsley flinch. Joan looked like she was similarly affected, her arms crossed over her chest and an uncomfortable look on her face. 

 

”Legs” She said ”We’re here to talk about my…condition” 

 

”I’m well aware” He smiled ”There’s no need to be scared. Please, sit down” 

 

The uneasy feeling didn’t fade, in fact it got stronger the closer Tinsley got to Legs. When he sat down in the right armchair, he felt like someone was pressing his chest against the back of it. He forced himself to unclench his jaw. 

 

”You said you might be able to help me” Joan’s face was set, discomfort showing clearly on it. 

 

”I can, sort of” Legs shrugged ”I know what’s affecting you, and I’ve got someone I can direct you to” 

 

”Who?” 

 

”Doctor Raymond Fear. Lives in the outskirts of town” Normally, Tinsley would have laughed at the absurdity of the name, but he really wasn’t in the mood. (But really, who calls themselves ”Fear”?) 

 

”And he can help me?” Joan looked hesitant, matching her tone. 

 

”Not help you, exactly. It’s not like there’s a cure for being a vamp, but he’s an expert on the subject” Legs explained ”I can give him a call and set up a meeting for you”

 

”Thank you” Joan sighed in relief ”Honestly you have no idea how-” 

 

”It could end up getting messy, though” Legs interrupted her ”I’d be careful if I were you. And there is something I wanna ask of you. Call it a favor for helping you, maybe. Whatever. I want you to get Ricky out of Los Demonios. Indefinitely.” 

 

He directed his last words at Tinsley, who thus felt compelled to respond. 

 

”I don’t know if I can do that, I’m afraid” 

 

”You can try, at least. You have to understand that it’s for both his and Night Night’s best” Legs shook his head ”Those two really are no good for each other. Never have been” 

 

”I got that impression” Tinsley managed to muster some dryness in his voice, which Legs evidently found amusing, because he chuckled slightly. Suddenly, Tinsley felt like he could breathe again, and the ants started to calm down. 

 

”By the way” He continued ”I’ve been meaning to ask something. Not as a detective, just out of curiosity” 

 

”Go right ahead” Legs looked interested. He swung his feet off the table and placed his elbows where they had previously been, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands. 

 

”How come you’re doing…what you’re doing?” Tinsley could admit it came out a little awkward. And Legs obviously didn’t completely understand. He just raised an eyebrow, an unspoken command for Tinsley to elaborate. 

 

”You know, the-” He cleared his throat and mimed swinging an axe in the air ”The brutal murder stuff” 

 

”Oh, that. That’s- how should I put it…” He furrowed his brows in concentration ”There’s a lot of ”how” and ”why” I’m not getting into, but to put it simply: it’s a ritual” 

 

”Really?” Tinsley heard how skeptical he sounded, and was well aware that it was probably not justified since just about everything supernatural seemed to be real these days. Still, he didn’t want to go around explaining everything with that just because it had been the case once or twice. 

 

”Yeah, it’s a lot harder for me to do that others, so it’s taken me a while” Legs said ”Sorry about that, by the way, I’ll finish up quick” 

 

”I mean it’s not really my problem anymore so…” Tinsley trailed off for a moment, then continued ”I just don’t understand why, I guess” 

 

”I have my reasons” One might have expected Legs to elaborate beyond that, but that never happened. He just asked if there was anything else Tinsley wanted to know. And well, there were a bunch of things, of course, but Tinsley had one question in particular. He hesitated a while, anticipating that it would most likely be an uncomfortable subject to breach, before speaking. 

 

”I- Uh, I wanted to ask about Night Night, actually. About what happened between him and ms Goldsworth” 

 

Tinsley had been right in his prediction. Legs’ face darkened instantly, and some of that odd feeling of dread returned to the room. Nowhere near as strong as before, but noticeable enough for Tinsley to instinctively lean away from Legs. Still, he wasn’t about to back down now. 

 

”We talked to her, me and Ricky” His voice was strained ”And she told us some things. Not nearly enough, though, and I need to- I wanna know the full story” 

 

For what felt like hours, but was probably closer to half a minute, Legs said nothing. He just kept his gaze fixed on Tinsley with a focus to them that was unusual for the man (?). Then, finally, the pressure on Tinsley’s chest released slightly, as Legs sighed and leaned back in his chair. 

 

”I haven’t always been like…” He gestured to himself ”This. Boring and weak. Only like, twenty-five years. It’s not really important, what is important is _why_ I’m like this. See, I’ve always been kinda bad at all the demon stuff. But I had one last chance to prove myself. Do something…demon-y. I suppose you’d call it evil” 

 

Tinsley suddenly remembered something that ms Goldsworth had said. That something would have hurt them. 

 

”Killing the Goldsworths?” 

 

”That’s right. Two kids and their single mother. Super easy right?” Legs chuckled hollowly ”I was doing okay, actually, for a while. Started talking to the oldest and managed to get him to let me in the house. Oh, but ms Goldsworth would have none of it. Who knows how she saw through my disguise, but she did, and she managed to drive me out at that” 

 

Legs went silent, staring at the wall to the right of Tinsley. He seemed to be deep in thought, and Tinsley figured it would be best to remain silent and wait for the story to continue. It did, after a longwhile, with Legs’ voice far more melancholic than it had previously been. 

 

”I thought I’d gotten a second chance, though. Because the oldest came looking for me. But I-” He absentmindedly scratched at the back of his neck ”I dunno. I guess I was a worse demon than I’d thought, because I just…couldn’t. Couldn’t do anything. He was _eight,_ damn it, and he couldn’t even tell me what had happened because he was crying so much and I…” 

 

”You were cast out” Joan filled in, her eyes wide. Legs nodded. 

 

”I was cast out” He confirmed ”Just like him” 

 

”And that could happen to me as well?” 

 

”Probably, though for you vamps it’s a little different, I think” Legs shrugged ”I’m not the expert, though. You’ll have to ask Fear about that as well” 

 

”Right” Joan nodded ”I will and…I’m sorry about what happened to you” 

 

”Don’t be” Legs smiled ”I got my revenge on Lucy. Just because I’m soft on one kid it doesn’t mean I’m some saint” 

 

During the last bit he turned to cast Tinsley a hard to read look. Was there concern? Before he could tell, Legs had broken the eye contact to look back at Joan, leaving Tinsley to ponder what that look had meant as well as what kind of revenge Legs had brought upon ms Goldsworth. Of course, he had a sneaking suspicion. 

 

”I’ll call Fear and set something up for you. Do you mind waiting a few minutes?” Legs asked. 

 

They didn’t, and within- as Legs had promised- a few minutes, they had an adress, date and time written down. _Fear Manor, Stoker’s Street 97, fri. May 17th, 8 pm._

 

 

 

_”Fear manor?”_ Francesca raised her eyebrows ”That sounds like something out of a horror novel” 

 

”Well this ’Fear’ is supposed to be an expert on vampires, so it very well could be” Tinsley shrugged ”Legs did say things could end up going south” 

 

”Better bring a gun then” Tinsley refrained from pointing out that Francesca hadn’t exactly been helpless without one, even though he was still impressed by her defenestration of G’Day. Instead he agreed and made a mental note to remember his own. Besides that, they didn’t have much to attend to in the two days until May 17th. Legs had been generous enough to let them stay in their apartments for one more week, which left them with plenty of time to pack their things after their visit to Fear. Before that, all they really could do was wait. And sleep, it was getting late. 

 

Tinsley was surprised to find that he’d forgotten to lock his door, and then even more surprised to find that that hadn’t been the case at all. Who knew when, but at some point during the evening Ricky had come back, probably picked the lock and fallen asleep in Tinsley’s bed. Or rather, on it, as he hadn’t bothered with getting under the covers. Tinsley took a moment to process all of that, then softly shook Ricky’s arm. 

 

”Wake up” He whispered ”Ricky wake up. I wanna sleep” 

 

”Shut up” Ricky mumbled, swatting at Tinsley’s hand. When that didn’t make Tinsley stop he cracked one eye open to glare at him. 

 

”Cut that out, I’m trying to sleep” 

 

”Yeah, so am I” Tinsley said ”Just move over will you?” 

 

”Fine” Ricky shifted to the side and Tinsley climbed into the bed next to him. For a while, they were silent and Tinsley was pretty sure Ricky had fallen asleep again when he muttered something. 

 

”Sorry what was that?” Tinsley asked. 

 

”I said sorry about not telling you where I was. And just leaving like that” 

 

”Oh” Tinsley paused, somewhat startled by the apology ”Well, apology accepted” 

 

He wasn’t sure what else to say, hoping not to ruin the moment like the last time Ricky had been somewhat sincere with him. Of course, he had a lot to ask, but it took him some time to find the words and when he eventually spoke he made sure to keep his tone soft. 

 

”So…” He began ”How are you feeling?” 

 

”Tired”

 

”Ha, ha. I meant about, you know” God, Tinsley wished he could have seen Ricky’s face ”Everything” 

 

”I’m fine” Ricky responded instantly, with a definitive lack of feeling. For all Tinsley knew he could be feeling way better about the whole thing than he let on, or the complete opposite. Though in all fairness, he was leaning towards the latter. 

 

”You know” Tinsley cleared his throat ”If there’s anything you wanna talk about, or if there’s anything you need-”

 

”Will you just shut up and let me sleep already?” 

 

”-anything” Tinsley finished ”I just wanna make sure you’re okay” 

 

”I am” Ricky was starting to sound annoyed, so maybe it was best if Tinsley dropped the subject? He wasn’t sure, but he was pretty sure he ran the risk of getting into an argument if he continued pressing the matter, and he really didn’t have the energy for that. So instead he told Ricky the parts of his and Joan’s meeting with Legs that didn’t involve the whole debacle with ms Goldsworth. Ricky seemed to only half listen, so Tinsley was fairly certain he’d have to go over the whole thing again the next day, but it felt good to have something to talk about. Even when he started getting nothing but snores in response. 

 

 

 

Two days went by fast and with the most notable activity being Francesca and Tinsley buying a map of the city and then finding Stoker’s Street 97 on it. 

 

Then, on May 17th, came the matter of finding the actual house, which was decidedly more difficult. On the map, it hadn’t looked very far, which it wasn’t, but nor had the road looked quite as unwelcoming as it was when one actually walked down it. Stoker’s Street didn’t start out too bad, but the longer the group- consisting of course of Tinsley, Joan, Francesca and a vocally reluctant Ricky- walked, the eerier the surroundings got. It seemed that with each passed streetlight there was a longer walk to the next, and the houses too were starting to get further from each other, as if Los Demonios was slowly fading away, making way instead for large fields and patches of forest. 

 

And of course, Stoker’s Street 97: Fear Manor, which finally came into view after what felt like hours of walking in the dark. It was a massive shadow of a building, that certainly lived up to its name, and Tinsley found himself wondering why anyone in the world would want to visit a doctor named ’Fear’ who lived in a house like that. Three stories high, at least from what Tinsley could see, built of a dark wood and surrounded by a high metal fence. The entrance was lit up by the last streetlight he could see, casting the group’s four shadows over the pathway leading to the front door. 

 

”Alright” Ricky said ”We all have to agree that this is just the worst, right?” 

 

Francesca, Joan and Tinsley all murmured in agreement. 

 

”And we should get out of here as soon as possible. Right?” 

 

”As much as I hate to disagree with you I don’t think I have a choice” Joan shook her head ”I’ll go alone. That way none of you will be in danger” 

 

”I’m going to pretend I did not just hear that” Francesca said, and then started walking towards the house without waiting for an answer. Joan followed, and Ricky and Tinsley soon did the same. By the time they caught up with Francesca she’d rang the doorbell, and the four only had to wait for a few moments before the door was opened. 

 

An old man stood in the doorway. He was dressed sharply, in an expensive looking suit, but wasn’t exactly stylish besides that. His hair and beard were uncombed and both looked like they needed trimming badly, and his eyes were nearly covered by a pair of bushy eyebrows. Joan cleared her throat. 

 

”Doctor Fear?” She asked. The man shook his head, then stepped aside, still holding the door open. With a shaky hand he motioned for the group to step inside. Joan did so first, followed by Francesca and Tinsley, who turned around once he was inside to see Ricky still hesitating outside. He had his hand in his pocket, most likely close to a knife, if Tinsley had to make an educated guess. Luckily, he didn’t make use of it, instead stepping inside after giving Tinsley a glare. 

 

The first room of the building wasn’t really a room at all, rather a corridor. Though well lit by lamps nailed to both walls, it still gave the impression of being quite dark due to the lack of windows and the dark shades of the wooden floor and the wallpaper. The old man started walking towards the end of it- where a spiral staircase could be seen- without a word, most likely expecting the group to follow. And that they did, through the corridor and up the staircase, which turned out to go all the way from the top floor to a basement that Tinsley could somewhat make out when he looked over the railing. It did get less and less clear, as they moved up to the second floor, stopping in a larger, open space. This room, furnished with a few armchairs and a low table, had windows towards the garden below, providing an excellent view of that as well as Stoker’s Street. 

 

As the group stepped off the staircase, the old man gestured towards the armchairs, and they obediently followed his directions and sat down. The man seemed content with this, nodding once before heading upstairs. As soon as he was out of sight, Tinsley got up from his chair and began inspecting the room. The walls to each side of it were covered in bookshelves, on all manner of topics, he found. Medicine, of course, but also history, mathematics and even a few novels. Doctor Fear evidently read a lot, or liked to give off the impression that he did, at least. 

 

Speak of the devil- or in this case, try to figure things out about him- as Tinsley put once of the books back in its place, he heard someone coming downstairs. 

 

”Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fear Manor” A man who Tinsley presumed must be doctor Fear, stepped off the staircase with a bright smile and his arms open in a welcoming gesture. Unlike his butler, Fear was well shaved and had evidently spent considerable time on his hair quite recently. He also emoted a lot more than the old man, smiling widely at the group. 

 

”You must be miss Porter” He said, making for Joan ”I was informed of your situation, and let me just say this: you don’t have to worry about a thing. I’m gonna see to it that you can make the best of your situation” 

 

”Thank you” Joan seemed to relax considerably and she returned Fear’s smile, shaking his hand as he extended it to her. 

 

”Now, if you’ll just come with me, we’ll do a quick check-up” He turned to the rest of the group ”I presume you people are here for support. Yeah? Come along then” 

 

They did, following Fear upstairs to a corridor similar to the one on the first floor. Fear opened a door to the right, leading to a doctor’s office, and ordered Joan to sit down on a stretcher as he himself sat down on a stool beside it. 

 

”So, miss Joan, what symptoms have you shown?” 

 

”Well” Joan cleared her throat ”Not a lot, if I’m honest. I mean, my teeth felt a little strange a few days ago, but other than that not much” 

 

”And what sort of a situation were you in when this happened?” Fear had opened a notebook and was writing down Joan’s responses ”Was it a dangerous situation?”

 

”Yes. This vampire- other vampire- attacked me and I had to fight her off” Joan frowned, probably trying to recall the events in as much detail as possible. 

 

”I think, it was around then that it happened” She continued ”She’d scratched me, and I scratched her back-” 

 

”Did she bleed?” Fear interrupted her, his pen hanging over the paper in anticipation. 

 

”I…think so, yes” Joan nodded ”I can’t quite remember, though. Do any of you remember?” 

 

”She was bleeding, yeah” Tinsley confirmed. That part of the evening still stuck out in his memory. The contrast of red blood against ms Doroftei’s white dress. 

 

”Interesting” Fear murmured, then raised his voice slightly ”If you three would step back, please” 

 

Tinsley, Ricky and Francesca did as he said, all of them moving so that they had their backs against the wall. Fear got up from his seat and made for a cabinet hanging next to them, from which he retrieved a dark glass bottle. As he walked back to Joan he shook it slightly, stirring the liquid inside. 

 

”Alright, Joan. I need you to try your hardest to keep calm now. Can you do that for me?” He asked. Joan nodded wordlessly, her eyes wide as Fear carefully opened the bottle. Slowly, he brought it closer to her and she sucked in a sharp breath, which made the doctor hastily draw the bottle back. Quickly, he put the bottle on a table next to him and retrieved a slim, metal utensil which he used to raise Joan’s upper lip. It was hard for Tinsley to see from where he was standing, but it looked like her canines had grown longer and sharper. 

 

”Fascinating” Fear mumbled, then moved back, putting the utensil back on the table. He washed his hands, and continued talking, louder now. 

 

”I have quite a lot I can tell you, miss Joan. Perhaps it would be best if you and your companions stayed for dinner? So we can talk in a more relaxed environment” 

 

”I would love to stay” Joan sounded a little uncertain ”Though I’m not sure about the others” 

 

”I’ll stay” Francesca said immediately, and Tinsley nodded in agreement. Ricky wasn’t quite so enthusiastic, only grumbling something in response. 

 

”Excellent!” Fear smiled ”I’ll have Abraham prepare something for you in no time. Now, let me show you to the dining hall”

 

 

 

That turned out to be a larger room on the first floor, furnished with a heavy wooden table and matching chairs. A door at the end of the room seemed to lead to the kitchen, since that was where the old man went. Fear sat down at the short end of the table, inviting the group to take their seats as well. They did, Joan and Francesca on one long end and Tinsley and Ricky opposite them, so that they all had about equally as good views of Fear as he started to speak. 

 

”I’ve been studying vampires for almost thirty years now” He began ”And I’ve started to notice a few patterns. See, as the condition begins to spread, which it has- rapidly- since the late nineteenth century, you start to see mutations. No vampire is the other quite alike”

 

The group listened in stunned silence, none of them sure what to say, even as Fear took a short pause. 

 

”Just recently, I’ve noticed some who become sensitive to sunlight, and some whose forms become twisted. Devoid of humanity” Fear must have noticed Joan was starting to look a little pale, because he smiled reassuringly at her. 

 

”Relax” He said ”That won’t happen to you. There are a few good indicators as to what kind of vampire you’re dealing with, but the teeth are always the best. And yours are a kind I haven’t seen in quite a while. See, most mutated vampires will have their teeth out at all time, but yours can obviously retract. That would indicate an older, less mutated form of vampirism” 

 

At that moment, Abraham entered with a tray of wine glasses, handing one to each person at the table. Fear took a sip from his, remaining silent as Abraham moved through the room. It was only after the old man had left that he continued talking. 

 

”Whoever turned you must have been old. Very old. I’d wager they’re third gen, maybe even second” Fear seemed to be speculating with himself, at this point, mumbling about something being ”Very fascinating” 

 

”Doctor Fear, if you don’t mind me asking” Tinsley cut in ”What do you mean by that?” 

 

”That is an excellent question” Fear nodded approvingly ”Well, to put it simply: it’s unclear when, or how, vampirism originated, but if you follow the line of people being turned backwards, you’ll usually end up at a few names. Those are what I refer to as the first generation. The people they turn would be the second generation and those that they turn become the third. And so on and so forth. Most vampires you meet nowadays are a tenth generation, perhaps even more, so naturally they’ll be far more mutated. Finding even a fifth gen is hard” 

 

Fear’s eyes were practically gleaming with excitement as he spoke. 

 

”So what does all this mean for me?” Joan didn’t seem as excited, but did sound a little more hopeful. 

 

”Right, right. Well to begin with, you don’t have to worry about sunlight, or not as much as later generations. You won’t be able to use much of your strength during the day, but you’re not gonna die or anything” 

 

”Oh thank god” Joan sighed in relief, and Tinsley felt himself relax slightly. That was one less concern, at least. 

 

”Sorry to interrupt” Ricky suddenly said ”But do you have a bathroom?” His voice was a little slurred, and it looked like he’d already emptied his glass. 

 

”Don’t see why I wouldn’t” Fear chuckled at his own joke ”It’s just to the left of my office, you can’t miss it” 

 

”Office…office” Ricky frowned deeply ”And where was that again? Do any of you remember? Tinsley, do you remember?” 

 

”Uh, yeah, I think so” Tinsley turned to Fear and lowered his voice to a theatrical whisper ”I should probably follow him up. He’s not very good with wine” 

 

”I can see that” Fear looked amused, and continued to do so as Ricky got to his feet with some minor balance issues. Tinsley quickly got up as well, supporting his friend all the way out into the corridor. 

 

There, he promptly let him go, upon which Ricky straightened his back and gave Tinsley an unimpressed look. 

 

”’He’s not very good with wine’” He mimicked, and Tinsley smirked. 

 

”Considering how much you were overplaying it I figured I had to do something to make it believable” Tinsley shrugged ”So talk to me, what are we doing out here?” 

 

”Snooping”

 

”Great” 

 

Ricky made for the staircase and Tinsley followed him, as expected, to the second floor. There, Ricky did not go to the bathroom, however, instead opening the door to Fear’s office. Inside, he and Tinsley took one side of the room each and started quickly going through the doctor’s stuff. 

 

”So” Tinsley said, quickly flipping through a binder ”You don’t trust this guy” 

 

”Nope” Ricky popped the ’p’ ”Not in the slightest. But I’ve been told it’s an issue I have” 

 

”One of many” Tinsley muttered ”So what are we looking for?” 

 

”Anything suspicious. Obviously” Ricky sniffed the dark bottle Fear had used with Joan and winced, then quickly put it back down again ”We better be quick, though” 

 

”Right” Tinsley nodded, picking up yet another binder after the first turned out to not contain anything suspicious ”Do we have time for the basement? Because that’s usually where you’ll find suspicious stuff” 

 

”Duly noted, detective. We’ll have a look” 

 

After that, the two of them went back to systematically going through the office and finding- as Ricky put it- jack shit. Seeing as they’d only been gone a few minutes, they agreed that they still had time for the most likely suspicious basement, and headed downstairs without further ado. 

 

The basement was…something. The first thing Tinsley noticed as he stepped off the staircase was that the layout seemed to match that of the first floor, in that before him and Ricky laid a long corridor. Unlike the first floor one, however, this one was not lit up at all, making the furthest wall impossible to see in the dark. It gave the impression of the corridor being never-ending, the throat of a beast whose jaws they’d just voluntarily passed through. Tinsley heard Ricky mutter something under his breath. 

 

”Onward?” He asked and Ricky nodded, not looking in the least excited. Figuring he’d have to be the one to do it, Tinsley started walking forwards, looking around to get a better grip on what was in the corridor. 

 

It turned out that the answer to that was ”Mainly doors. The occasional vent”. Metal doors came at even intervalls on each side of the corridor for as long as Tinsley could see, which was admittedly not very long. Stopping by one, he hesitantly reached for the door handle. It was cold, and useless- unsurprisingly. The door was locked, which would have been a problem if Tinsley was alone, but not with Ricky around, seeing as his greatest talent besides bloody murder appeared to be picking locks. Convenient at times, Tinsley had to admit as Ricky got to work on the door. 

 

Moments later it swung open, revealing a dark room. Being dark, there was not much to see, but there was something to be smelled. Tinsley couldn’t quite place the smell, but it had a chemical edge to it that reminded him of the one autopsy he’d ever been to. For all he knew, maybe Fear dabbled in pathology as well? It wasn’t too unlikely, but Tinsley wasn’t quite convinced yet. He turned around and found that Ricky was still standing in the doorway. 

 

”Come on” Tinsley sighed ”The sooner we get this over with the better” 

 

”We really need to get back to the dining hall you know” Ricky didn’t move, apparently determined not to go into the room. 

 

”I know, I know. But you did say we should look for suspicious stuff, right? So I’m-” 

 

Tinsley was cut of by something brushing against the back of his neck. 

 

He froze, soon feeling the thing return. Pointy, hard and distinctively alive in its movements. Not until the thing pierced his skin just enough to send a jolt of pain through his neck did Tinsley manage to move, taking a few quick steps towards Ricky who immediately looked more alert. He glanced between Tinsley and the dark room, as the two stood completely still in the doorway. Tinsley wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t move, but he had the feeling that whatever was in there would reveal itself soon. 

 

And sure enough, it did. Not by coming closer, as Tinsley had expected, but by speaking in a slow, raspy voice. 

 

_”Who’s there?”_

 

Neither Tinsley, nor Ricky responded. 

 

_”I can hear you”_ The voice sounded almost…relieved _”I can smell you. Don’t be scared of me”_

 

Still, Tinsley couldn’t bring himself to speak and Ricky too remained silent. This time, it took a while for the voice to speak again. 

 

_”Come closer. Let me see you”_ Now, the tone had softened to nearly a plea _”It hurts. I’ve been so lonely. So, so lonely…”_

 

Finally, Tinsley found his voice. 

 

”How come?” 

 

_”He won’t let me leave. He keeps hurting me”_ The voice was even sadder now, and Tinsley felt a pang of sympathy for it. 

 

”Who?” He asked, even though he was already pretty certain he knew the answer. 

 

_”The man upstairs. The doctor. He won’t tell me his name. Won’t even talk to me when he comes here. I’ve been so very lonely…”_ A short pause followed, before the voice picked up again _”Please, come closer. Let me see you”_

 

Tinsley began to move, but was stopped by Ricky grabbing his arm. 

 

”What are you _doing?”_ Ricky hissed as Tinsley shrugged his hand off. 

 

”What are _you_ doing?” He retorted ”You said we should look for suspicious stuff” 

 

”Yeah but within reasonable-” Tinsley decided not to listen to the rest, instead carefully moving closer to the voice until he was stopped by a grid. Through one of the openings, a hand was stretched towards the door and where Tinsley had been standing just moments before. It was hard to see who the hand belonged to, but Tinsley assumed the shadowy figure attached to it must be the voice. 

 

”Are you locked in?” He asked, feeling the grid for any sort of opening. 

 

_”Yes”_ The figure replied. It drew its hand back inside and seemed to turn towards Tinsley. 

 

”Do you know how I can get you out?” Tinsley’s fingers brushed over a door handle and he tried it to no avail. 

 

_”Yes”_ One could almost hear the smile in the figure’s voice now _”There’s a key. Hanging on the wall by the door”_

 

”Ricky, toss me the key, will you?” 

 

”Are you out of your mind?!”

 

”I know you generally don’t care about people, but I do and I’m going to let this person out, with or without your help” Tinsley made for the door as he talked to Ricky, finishing right as he found the key which hung by the door just as the figure had said. 

 

”This isn’t about what I want or don’t want you idiot!” Ricky reached out to grab Tinsley’s arm, but Tinsley managed to avoid his grip, hurriedly making his way back to the grid. There, he managed to find the lock under the door handle and unlocked it without any trouble. It was a little harder to actually open the door, however. It must have been years since someone last did it, because it appeared to have gotten stuck. Putting all his strength into it, Tinsley finally managed to bend it open with a loud creak. 

 

In retrospect, it had been stupid of him not to listen to Ricky. Really, it was nothing but pure luck that just as a clawed hand shot towards him, Ricky reached the grid and plunged a knife into the hand, shoving Tinsley aside in the process. Unable to see what was going on, the only thing Tinsley had to go off were sounds. The voice hissing. Fabric ripping. And finally, the door slamming shut. Moments later, he found himself violently yanked off the floor and dragged out of the room, all the while the voice yelled. 

 

_”I’m so hungry!”_

 

Ricky slammed the door to the room shut and leaned against it. As Tinsley got up from the floor he could hear his friend trying to collect his breath. 

 

”Ricky, I’m sorry” He began, reaching out for Ricky ”I didn’t think-” 

 

”No you didn’t” Ricky cut him off ”Now shut up, will you” 

 

”I really wasn’t expecting it” 

 

”No you weren’t! Because you never do!” Tinsley found himself wincing at Ricky’s harsh tone. When he didn’t respond, Ricky continued. 

 

”You can’t keep waltzing into dangerous situations however you please and rely on me to just be there and help you out. You do realize that right? _Right?”_ Ricky left the door and passed Tinsley ”Anyway, we need to get Fran and Joan and get the hell out of here. Unless you have any other brilliant ideas that will get someone hurt” 

 

Tinsley didn’t know what to say, so he settled on simply following Ricky back through the corridor and up the stairs. At first, the light was almost blinding, but he quickly got used to it, upon which he noticed that Ricky was clutching his left upper arm. Hesitantly, Tinsley reached out, but Ricky avoided his hand and moved ahead with nothing but a low grumble that could have been words, but could also just have been a snarl. Tinsley sighed and lowered his hand in defeat, following Ricky at a safe distance back to the dining hall. 

 

As Ricky arrived at the doors to the dining hall, he stopped for a second, during which Tinsley thought about apologizing again. However, he never got the time to do so as Ricky opened the doors the moment he caught up. 

 

The scene inside made Tinsley freeze, not entirely sure what he should focus on. The fact that Francesca was nowhere to be seen, or that Fear currently had a hand clasped over Joan’s mouth and it looked like she was in pain. Before her was a plate of what looked like some sort of pasta dish. 

 

”Whoa, hey there” Fear said nonchalantly, not losing his cool even as Ricky drew his knife ”How polite of you to finally come back” 

 

”Let her go” Ricky’s voice was ice cold, but only made Fear snort. 

 

”I don’t think so” He tightened his grip as Joan struggled against it ”Can’t just let this one here walk away. It’s nothing personal, I assure you” 

 

”We’re not asking twice” Tinsley wasn’t armed, but he was sure he’d be able to figure something out. He took a step closer, hoping to seem somewhat threatening. 

 

”Stay back, detective” Fear gave him a warning look ”I’m not killing her, but you don’t want her getting any more hurt than what is necessary, right?” 

 

”I don’t” Tinsley stopped and raised his hands ”But I’m also not letting you lock her away just like that” 

 

”I’m afraid you have no choice. Believe me, it’s all in the name of-” Fear was abruptly cut off by Ricky throwing his knife at his hand, making him let go of Joan with a pained shriek. The moment he did she heaved over the table and spit something out on her plate. As Tinsley and Ricky hurried towards her she straightened up with a cough. 

 

”Welcome back” She croaked. Tinsley rounded the table to steady her as it looked like she might pass out, and found that Francesca had already done so. She laid on the floor, looking remarkably peaceful for the situation. Less peaceful was Fear, who made a distraught noise as Ricky violently yanked his knife out of Fear’s hand. Joan too had turned her eyes to the doctor, leaving Tinsley to take care of Francesca. When shaking her did nothing he grabbed a glass of water from the table and poured it over her, which did the trick. With a cough, Francesca opened her eyes, not looking quite as sharp as usual. Tinsley let her take her time with waking up, shifting his attention back to Ricky, Joan and Fear for a moment. The two former had the doctor cornered against the kitchen door, so Tinsley figured things were going smoothly. 

 

”What did I miss?” Francesca mumbled, rubbing her temples. 

 

”Well, Fear can’t be trusted and has a monster locked in his basement” Tinsley shrugged ”Other than that, not much” 

 

”Great” Francesca stood up and immediately had to steady herself against the table. Tinsley reached out to help her but she brushed him off, assuring him that she was doing fine by herself. 

 

Tinsley didn’t know how, or when it happened, but suddenly Abraham was in the room. He stood by the dining hall’s main door, keeping it firmly shut. And for the first time since Tinsley had met him, the old man spoke. 

 

”Let him go, if you please” His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t used it in years which very well could be the case. 

 

”Don’t get involved, old man” Ricky didn’t even look up from Fear, who was still laying on the floor. 

 

”Please” Abraham repeated, and Tinsley noticed the slightest hint of an accent in his voice. He couldn’t quite place it, but it sounded german. 

 

Tinsley was about to respond, when a noise cut him off. A pound on the dining hall’s door, which nearly sent Abraham stumbling forward. He managed to push back, however, keeping the door in place. When the next hit came, the old man was prepared and didn’t budge. 

 

”What’s going on?” Francesca asked, and after a moment of stunned silence, her answer came in the form of Fear laughing. 

 

”Abraham, you crazy son of a bitch” Fear smiled at his butler ”You let them out” 

 

Tinsley froze. 

 

”We need to get out” He said, grabbing Francesca by the arm ”We’ll find a kitchen exit, or a window. Anything” 

 

”Wait, what’s going on?” Joan looked between Tinsley and Ricky, both of them probably looking equally panicked. 

 

”Fear’s got something in the basement” Ricky explained, his voice slightly strained ”Or rather he _had_ something in the basement” 

 

”And ’them’ would imply there are more than just the one we ran into” Tinsley finished and began shoving Fear away from the kitchen door. Joan and Ricky helped, with Francesca not being entirely present just yet. She kept an eye on Abraham as the rest finally managed to get the door open. The kitchen was empty, luckily. Tinsley held the door open as Francesca and Joan hurried inside, followed by Ricky who backed in slowly, with his knife raised against the dining hall and Abraham. 

 

”There’s no need for that, mr Goldsworth” Abraham shook his head ”I’m not planning on killing you” 

 

”Is that so?” Fear’s voice drowned out whatever snarky comment Ricky had intended to respond with. 

 

”Sir-” Abraham looked at Fear, almost pleading. But it evidently didn’t help. 

 

”Abraham. You’re gonna open that door” 

 

Before he could see what the old man’s reaction was, Tinsley shoved Ricky inside the kitchen, followed him in and shut the door. After that, it didn’t take long before someone tried pulling the door open and he had to fight against it. 

 

”Joan! Are there any windows?” He yelled, not taking his eyes off the door. 

 

”One!” Joan responded almost instantly. Throwing a glance over his shoulder, Tinsley saw her opening it and looking out. He then immediately shifted his focus back to the door, as the thing outside tried forcing it open again. 

 

”It seems safe” Joan confirmed ”Francesca, you better get out first” 

 

”Fine” Francesca was silent for a moment ”But only if you get out soon” 

 

”I promise” 

 

”Yeah yeah, we get it! Please just get out already” Ricky sounded appropriately stressed for the situation they were currently in. It seemed to be enough to persuade the two women, as not long after, Tinsley could hear what sounded like two pairs of feet landing on the ground outside. Tinsley once again looked over his shoulder, finding that he’d been right. Ricky and him were the only ones left in the room, the former standing by the open window. 

 

”You got any idea how you’re gonna get away from there?” Ricky asked. 

 

”Run like hell. Not that complicated” For just a moment the door slipped open, and Tinsley quickly shut it again, despite his arms screaming in protest. If he survived the night he was bound to be sore tomorrow. 

 

”Great. When?” 

 

”When you’re out of the way, so you better hurry with that” The door slipped open again and Tinsley caught a glimpse of a pale creature before he could shut it. Ricky definitely needed to hurry. 

 

”Fine” It sounded like Ricky climbed onto the windowsill ”On the count of three” 

 

”One” Tinsley began against gritted teeth. 

 

”Two” Ricky filled in. 

 

Before they could get to three, the door was violently yanked open by a tall, pale creature. There seemed to be nothing but bones under its skin, and its eyes were too hollow for Tinsley to see them properly, especially from where he’d fallen down on the floor. He scrambled backwards, tryinghis best to get up in the process, as the creature slowly moved closer. Like a cat cornering a mouse. It was flanked by two others, both looking similar to the first, and the two of them quickly moved forwards, blocking Tinsley’s escape on both sides. All he could do was back, even as he finally managed to get to his feet. 

 

As he reached the window he caught Ricky moving sideways in the corner of his eye, leaving them both with their backs against the windowsill. Ricky had his knife raised against the creature furthest right, who was currently blocking a door that Tinsley presumed led to the corridor. Sensing what Ricky probably had in mind, Tinsley quickly scanned the room for a weapon. To his left, he found a stove and on top of it a frying pan. 

 

It would have to suffice. 

 

For a moment that felt like an hour, nothing happened. The creatures had stopped a safe distance from Ricky’s knife, and Ricky had yet to make his move. Tinsley focused on him, wary of the slightest movement he made. Anything to indicate what he was going to do, and more importantly- when. 

 

As it happened, ’when’ turned out to be ’now’. Seemingly out of nowhere, Ricky lunged at the right creature, plunging his knife into its throat before it seemed to fully comprehend what was happening. As its companions jumped Ricky, Tinsley grabbed the frying pan and swung it through the air, landing a hard blow it the side of one of the creatures’ head. It flew off Ricky with a pained cry, and the other turned around to face Tinsley. That, however, he’d been ready for, and he managed to hit it as well, albeit not as hard as the first. It landed on the floor, but didn’t stay down for long. Just long enough for Tinsley to grab Ricky and start running.

 

The two of them rushed out the kitchen door, and Ricky slammed it shut after them as Tinsley frantically looked around the corridor for where to go next. The front door seemed like the best alternative, and he made a motion for it, when suddenly the doors to the kitchen and the dining hall opened at nearly the same time. Through the former came the two remaining creatures. Through the latter came Fear, looking surprisingly lively for someone who’d been stabbed in the hand. Said hand was still bleeding, leaving a trail of drops on the floor as Fear moved closer. The two creatures stepped backwards as he passed them, as if his mere presence was enough to intimidate them. Tinsley and Ricky backed as well, but that was mainly because they were still hoping to get to the front door. 

 

”Where is she?” Fear was smiling, technically, but Tinsley really didn’t think that was the right word for it. It was more like a vaguely upturned snarl. 

 

”By now?” Ricky sounded smug ”Far, far away” 

 

In a moment of timing that could probably be used as an argument for life being nothing but a series of already planned events controlled by a higher force, Joan chose that very moment to kick the front door open. A move which was completely unnecessary since it had been unlocked, but added greatly to the overall impact of her entrance. Fear’s smile widened, and he turned to the two creatures. 

 

”Get her” He ordered, and the two obeyed immediately. Without so much as a glance they passed Ricky and Tinsley, focusing only on Joan who glared at them both. 

 

”Come on then” She spat, and the creatures jumped into action. 

 

The first made a sweeping motion with its clawed hand, which Joan dodged easily. When the creature fell past her she grabbed it by the back of its neck and shoved it face first into the wall, leaving her back open to the second creature. Here, it would have had a golden opportunity to strike, had it not left its own back open to Ricky, who stabbed it in said back before it could even think of attacking Joan. 

 

Tinsley took a step towards Ricky and Joan, intending to help them out as much as he could, when he heard something behind him. Turning around, he found Fear was making his way towards the staircase and figured it’d be wise to follow him, especially since Joan and Ricky seemed to be doing fine by themselves. 

 

Fear must have heard him running, because he picked up his pace. He’d almost reached the third floor by the time Tinsley got to the staircase, and when he got there he couldn’t find Fear anywhere. The third floor corridor seemed to be empty, with four identical doors and no indication as to which of them Fear had gone through. _Great._ Figuring that doing something was better than nothing, Tinsley made for the first door to the left and opened it to find an empty bedroom, presumably Fear’s. Without bothering to close it behind him, he checked the room opposite the bedroom. It too was a bedroom, but didn’t look like it had ever been used. A guest room, perhaps. 

 

Not spending too much time on trying to solve that particular mystery, Tinsley headed out into the corridor and made for the right-hand door furthest from the stairs. It was locked, and he pondered calling Ricky up for a moment, before ultimately deciding he’d better check the last room first. It too was empty, and if he had to make an educated guess he’d have to say it was probably where Abraham slept. At least if the tattered suit hanging over the back of a chair was anything to go by. Sighing in defeat he left the room and turned to the staircase, only to immediately freeze. 

 

”Attaboy” Fear smiled at him. His hand was still bleeding, and it was made worse by the tight grip he had on the gun pointed at Tinsley. 

 

”Don’t make a sound. Just come closer” 

 

Tinsley obliged, walking slowly with his hands raised. Fear seemed pleased at this since he didn’t shoot. As the distance between them shrunk to just a few feet, he raised his unoccupied hand, motioning for Tinsley to stop. 

 

”We’re going downstairs, you and I. And you’re going to-” 

 

Ricky was a shadow, completely silent as he snuck up behind Fear and grabbed the arm he held the gun in, raising it towards the ceiling before Fear even had the time to react. Then, without a moments hesitation, he stabbed Fear’s side, and the doctor crumbled to the floor. As a pool of blood began to form around him, Ricky reached down to wrestle the gun from his bloody hand. 

 

”That was really stupid of you. Sneaking off” He said. Tinsley nodded. 

 

”I know. I’m sorry” 

 

”It’s alright” Ricky shrugged and threw the gun aside, far out of Fear’s reach ”I can’t bring myself to care, really. Suppose I like you too much” 

 

”I’m deeply flattered” Tinsley tried to relax, massaging his stiff neck. 

 

”Don’t be. It’s probably not a good thing” Ricky waited for him at the staircase, and the two started heading down together. Tinsley thought for a moment about what Ricky had said, but finally decided he disagreed. 

 

”Whatever you say” He mumbled to himself, feeling a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. 

**Author's Note:**

> Bruh I am so sorry for how long this took me please validate me despite my failings :pensive:


End file.
